The present invention relates to a jewelry clasp for fastening necklaces and bracelets.
Jewelry clasps conventionally have a jump ring, or small ring, at the end of the necklace which is permanently secured to the clasp by soldering for example. The permanently attached jump ring is generally smaller than the detachable jump ring attached to the free end of the necklace. A problem with soldering the end of the necklace to the clasp is that if it breaks, the necklace has to be repaired by a jeweler, a time-consuming process.
Another problem with conventional clasps is that because of the size of the detachable jump ring at the free end of the necklace and the size of the clasp itself, pendants are permanently attached to the necklace. The detachable jump ring and the clasp are both too large to fit through the bale or loop through which the necklace extends. Thus, the pendant is not removable from the necklace unless the jump ring is removed or the chain breaks. The larger jump ring cannot be made smaller to alleviate this problem because the necklace would then become too difficult to fasten.
A jewelry clasp that allows for removing pendants from the necklace and is more easily repairable is desired.